Skin disease specialist Anna Pankakoski’s alma mater is the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Helsinki. Pankakoski earned her master’s in the Swedish-language programme, specialising in dermatology at the HUS Skin and Allergy Hospital. Pankakoski wishes to further deepen her expertise in the field of dermatology, and is currently working on her PhD thesis, which explores the different aspects of autoimmune pemphigi.
She says she has always been particularly fascinated by the diversity that is inherent to the field of dermatology, where doctors encounter both very common skin problems and extremely rare diseases. The diagnoses are also often made on a visual basis, and in many cases, you can also see the effectiveness of the correct treatment just by looking at the result. “The best part of my job is encountering my patients and seeing how the correct treatments are able to help them,” Pankakoski says. For her, one of the most important and rewarding aspects of the job is to be able to help patients with issues that cause them a lot of worry and may even have a major impact on their lives.
Anna’s colleagues know her as a calm and careful doctor who always makes sure that her patients feel heard and understand both their diagnosis and the treatment for it, as well as any instructions given. At the Skin Hospital, Pankakoski treats patients with all kinds of skin-related symptoms and conditions, such as rashes, acne, moles, skin cancer, or sexually transmitted diseases. She treats patients of all ages.
